Match-serving box.



J. HEEMANN. MATCH SERVING BOX.

APPLIOATION FILED JULY 6, 190a.

Patented Feb. 23, 1909.

-with the body of the box by the hin e a.

JOHN HERMANR, OF NEW YORK, -Y.

MATCH-SERVING BOX.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented F eb. 23, 1909.

Application filed July 6, 1908. Serial No. 442,057.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, JOHN HERMANN, citizen of the United States, residing atNew York, in the county of New York and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in lvlatch-Serving' Boxes, of whic the matches are more certainly and conveniently served, one at a time, and are held when served .in position to be more easily taken by the hand, than is done by any like serving box with which I am acquainted.

The construction and arrangement of parts constituting this invention are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, of which Figure 1 represents a plan view of the inner and flat 'hinged lid of the box, and shows the form of the slot through the lid. Fig. 2 is a vertical section of the box in the direction of its width and shows the box closed, and the sliding match-server entirely within the box. Fig. 3 is a vertical section on line :v-mof Fig. 2, the match-server being shown within the box. Fig. 4 is a vertical section similar to that of Fig. -2 showing the cover and inner lid of the box raised, and the match-server drawn partly out of the box. Fig. 5 re resents a vertical section on line a:x of Fig. 2, showing the match-server partly withdrawn. Fig. 6 is a vertical section of a modified form of this invention, with the box raised, and Fig. 7 is a like section showing the box lowered.

The same letters of reference designate the same parts'in the description and drawings.

The body of the box A is provided with an outer cupped cover B and an inner fiat lid or partitionC, both being pivotally connected The spring catch D holds the-cover B c osed against theforce of the spring 1) tending to throw it open. The lug upon the interior of the cover arranged to engage the catch is marked 6. When the catch is operated by the pushbutton d, the spring throws the cover open, but does not affect the fiat lid 0 which remains normally in the position illustrated in Fig. 2. The flat lidC may be opened as shown in Fig. 4 to refill the box with matches. Near its narrowersides the box has two vertical, transverse partitions E and E provided with corresponding slots c and c. A match server or picker slide F works upand down through a slot a in the bottom of the box, its path being between the partitions E and E. The regular location of the match server F is within. the box, as shown in Fig. 2, and it is held thus by the springs G and G which are attached to pins 9 and 9 that pass through slots 6 an already mentioned, and are secured to the match server. The springs are constructed to draw the match server F within the box until the cupped base or extra bottom H is in contact with the real bottom of the box, and the springs retain the match server yieldingly within the box as will be readily understood. The matches are held within the box upon a downwardly inclined or curved false bottom formed by the internal additions a and a to the walls of the box. It is thought to be clear that by reason of such construction should there be but a single match remaining in the box, it will gravitate to the middle of the false bottom.

To operate the referred form of this invention shown in igs. l, 2, 3, 4, and 5, the base or extra bottom H is grasped and drawn downwardly, which lowers the prongs f and f of the match server until those prongs occupy the recesses a. and a in the false bottom. Any match or matches within the box are moved out of the way by the prongs as they descend. When the pron s are in their lowest positions a match stick alls into them, and by permitting the springs to return the base into contact with the bottom of the box, the match is passed upwardly through the slot 0 in the flat lid C, and may be readily taken from the rongs after the cover B is thrown up as a readyexplained. The slot 0 is shown to be of proper form to allow the prongs and the match to pass through the lid.

Figs. 6 and 7 illustrate .a modification t this mvention. The match server F is not provided with springs, and the base H is illtended to rest upon a table or other con venient support. The box K has the internal additions'k and k resulting in the false bot tom with the convergent shape as in the form above described. In this mod'ifii-ation, the normal position otthe top or the match server is as shown in Fig. 7, that is to say, it

extends s ightly above the box K, and be- 1 tween the upwardly inclined plates L and M that constitute the top of the box. The plate M sw ngs upon the hinge m thus permitting access to the inside of the box for filling it with matches.

T he operation of the modified form of this invention is mechanically the sanieas that described for the preferred form, with the exception that in separating the box and base, it is the box that is movi and not the base, andthe weight of thebox returns it into contact with the base. When the box is raised a'match falls into the grooved upper ends ofthe match server, and upon lowering the box the match is rendered within reach for the reason as stated, the ends of the match server project slightly above the box.

Havin now described my invention and explaine the mode of its operation, what I 'claim is 1. In a serving box, the combination with a box having an opening at its top, the said box having a slot ,through its bottom, the 1 said box having an internal false bottom prov vided-witha slot corresponding with the slot in the said bottom, the portions of-the said alse bottom bein' constructed downwardly epnver ent towar s its slot, a match server adapte to be iven' a reciprocating movement inthe'sai slots a; base attached to the match server and adapted to come to rest against the-bottom of the box, and springs contained in the box for yieldingly holdin thematch server within-the box, the sai match server being constructed and arranged to pro'ect above the said opening at the top of'the' ox when the said base and bottom are together, the portions of the match server thus projecting being constructed to receive and hold a match stick and a cupped cover movably connected with thebox and adapted to cover the portions of the match server projecting above the box, substantially as described.

2. In a servin box, the combination with a box having a slot in its bottom, of a match server movable in the said slot, a cupped a box having a s 0t in its bottom, of a match server movable in the said slot, a cupped cover and a fiat lid arranged below the said cover and having a slot adapted to permit the passage of the match server and a match,

the said match server when in its innermost.

position having portions projecting above the fiat i101 and constructed to hold a match between the said lid and the said cupped i cover, and.springs contained bythe box and arranged to yieldingly hold the said match server in its said innermost position, substantially as described. I

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

' JOHN HERMANN. Witnesses:

ALEX RosEN, BESSIE Roses. 

